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There is a lot of excitement about the prospect of new green jobs, and rightfully so. President Obama has made it a priority in his administration and even hired Van Jones as Green Job Advisor to help make it happen.
But under the radar and excitement, and in response to all of the excitement about green jobs, there is some negative chatter concerning the “myths” of these jobs.
Recently, a collaborative report was written by law and economics professors at the University of Illinois arguing that the proposal of green job creation has many myths attached to it.
The paper postulates that these jobs will not really help the economy, and that they’ll also cause great harm and detriment to our society and to the industry’s growth and potential.
So how can new jobs be bad for the economy?
Upon reading, you find the authors of this report are convinced that the intent of creating green jobs is to “remake” our society into a socialist regime. They rely on fear mongering, pandering to the sensibilities of big corporations.
The paper compares government aid for green industry growth to a Ponzi scheme. Here is one of their myths:
“Myth: Green jobs promote employment growth.”
Then they describe “reality:”
“Reality: By promoting more jobs instead of more productivity, the green jobs described in the literature encourage low-paying jobs in less desirable conditions. Economic growth cannot be ordered by Congress or by the United Nations. Government interference –such as restricting successful technologies in favor of speculative technologies favored by special interests – will generate stagnation.”¹
This “reality” described by the authors has recently been proven untrue.
The government just forked over $535 million to Solyndra, a solar start-up that is currently providing great, high-paying, very technical jobs to grow their innovations in solar cell design.
Solar Richmond in California is providing people with advanced training and internships, sponsored by local government entities and some very good local solar companies that have real jobs to give.
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is yet another example of this. With help from NGOs and others, they are providing technical training and resources to individuals and companies alike, all while promoting innovation and growth in renewable energy technology.
Recently, it was announced that the federal government is providing $1.2 billion in funding for renewable energy research and development, and President Obama has expressed his administration’s commitment to promoting the innovation needed to grow both the renewable industry and the economy.
So really, where is the harm in job creation and training supported by the government (large and local), small businesses, large corporations, and non-profits?
In light of this, the statement quoted above, “By promoting more jobs instead of more productivity, the green jobs described in the literature encourage low-paying jobs in less desirable conditions,” just doesn’t make much sense.
Also, increasing productivity requires jobs at every level and in every sector – including green collar jobs and less technical positions within low-income communities. Everybody needs a job, not just rich white-collar folks from upper middle-class neighborhoods.
It must be said, however, that a standard is needed for these jobs to keep employees safe in the workplace and to provide a pleasant work environment. The authors complain that there is no standard for green jobs, but then decry regulation on business – a blatant contradiction. Who else but the government can create such a standard?
They seem to have the mistaken notion that the government wants to control all business, impose harsh regulations that limit innovation and growth, and hamper the process with bureaucracy.
This notion really comes from the belief that government could restrict corporations from making big money at the detriment of the environment, their employees, and of society at large.
The real truth here is that the federal government’s goal is to coordinate with businesses, non-profits, and local government, providing a stimulus to the industry to help create jobs, innovation and growth.
It’s clear that the current financial crisis leaves many businesses without the resources to grow and innovate on their own. The question is: who but the federal government is in a position to help?
We have lived for far too long with only very limited regulation and standards for business, and this has gotten us where we are today. Let’s not ever be fooled again by fear-inducing tactics like talk of socialism and the government wanting to dictate to businesses. This kind of talk misrepresents the government’s goals and sets the real limit on economic growth for all.
[1] MORRISS, ANDREW P., BOGART, WILLIAM T., DORCHAK, ANDREW, MEINERS, ROGER E. (2009). GREEN JOBS MYTHS. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LAW AND ECONOMICS RESEARCH PAPER SERIES NO. LE09-001.
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I work in the fuel cell technology field. As this is one example of a green energy for the
future, it demands a nod of recognition. Although
the technology itself is still in it’s infancy and has some large kinks to be worked out, I see it as a shining example of America’s chance to be free of the oil industries greedy clutches and a positive step toward a greener future. In regards to the wage scale, it is competitive, the compensation for the average worker is a 30%
increase in comparison to similar employment opportunities in the technology industry.